A Twist of Fate, A Death of Destiny
by Feyfa14Frost
Summary: What if things had gone differently in The Fires Of Idirsholas? What if different choices and decisions had been made on that day? What if Morgana had willingly drank the poison in order to save Camelot? A story on what could have happened if Merlin had decided to do things another way. Arwen and Mergana pairings. Rated T because I'm paranoid.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone! Okay, so this is my very first story! I'm quite excited about this. It just came to my mind while watching Merlin and before I knew it, I've written this. This is my first fanfic so please please please go easy on me! Hahaha! I'm kind of rusty in my writing so if there are any mistakes in this story or something does not seem right, do let me know. That would be great help! Oh, just in case anyone does not know, this fanfic starts from the episode The Fires Of Idirsholas. It is the part where they are in the servant's room and are trying to think of a way to get King Uther out of Camelot.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the show Merlin or any of the characters in Merlin.(Because if I did, Mergana would have totally happened in the show!)**

**Well, without further ado, sit back and enjoy...**

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><p><span>CHAPTER 1<span>

Merlin collapsed onto the floor in exhaustion. He took in huge gulps of air trying to calm down his racing heart and steady his breathing. He watched as Arthur did the same while Morgana headed towards the window of the room to gaze out at the courtyard below. Merlin was at war with himself. A battle was going on in his mind. The dragon's words were still fresh in his memory.

_10 minutes earlier_

"_Kilgharrah! I need your help! Please Kilgharrah!" Merlin called out as he rushed into the Dragon's Cave._

"_Help? Help you? Ha! You always say the same thing! You expect me to keep doing as you ask Merlin? Why should I?" the dragon snorted in disbelief._

"_Time and time again you refuse to give me anything in return. Now, you shall face the consequences. Camelot shall fall and there is nothing you can do about it!"_

"_I know I promised that I would free you from your chains and I will! I swear it on my mother's life! I will set you free! You have to help me! Please!" cried Merlin in desperation._

"_Your mother's life? Well, her life matters more to you than your own. Fine, I believe you shall honour your oath," the dragon replied after a moment of silently thinking on what Merlin had said._

"_It is one thing to cast a spell that puts everyone to sleep. The power to maintain it on the other hand is a very different matter. It will take more than just words to break this enchantment. You must eradicate the source young warlock!" Kilgharrah continued._

"_Great! So I just have to get rid of the source? Well then, what is it?" Merlin asked eagerly._

"_No Merlin, not what, but who. Such a spell would need a living vessel to give it strength. The source of this spell is that witch, the Lady Morgana. I have warned you about her before but you did not take heed. She is dangerous and now she has chosen to turn her back on her own."_

"_No, it can't be. I refuse to believe that she is evil," Merlin sighed as he shook his head._

"_T-there has to be some sort of mistake. How do I stop her Kilgharrah?" Merlin then asked._

"_Well that's easy Merlin. You must kill her!"_

Merlin had been utterly horrified upon hearing the dragon's proclamation. However, Kilgharrah had insisted that if Merlin did not do anything, Camelot would be doomed. Merlin sat on the ground in silence as his mind kept replaying what Kilgharrah had told him. There had to be another way to end this. There just had to be. He could not kill Morgana! She was his friend. Wasn't she? She just couldn't be evil. Merlin's hand subconsciously reached to his pocket where the bottle of Hemlock laid. It felt heavy in his hand. Too heavy. As if it was made of lead. A burden to be carried. A reminder of the difficult decision he would have to make. Merlin was suddenly jolted out of his reverie at the sound of Arthur calling out his name. His head snapped up and he looked towards Arthur's direction only to find the prince staring back at him intently as if he was waiting for a reply.

"Merlin, did you hear what I just said? You seemed to be staring off as if in a daze, while I was talking!" Arthur exclaimed in an aspirated manner.

"Umm…err, I'm sorry sire, what did you say? I wasn't paying attention," Merlin replied rather sheepishly.

Arthur let out a groan and shook his head. He then explained to Merlin what he had said earlier. Arthur had decided to abandon the "dress King Uther as a servant plan" plan as he was sure that Morgause would still be able to easily identify Uther. He had opted on getting Uther out of Camelot to safety instead.

"Alright! But we will have to go as soon as possible. Hey! Remember the cart in the square we saw earlier before Arthur? We can use that to leave Camelot," suggested Merlin.

"Merlin, that's a great idea! Good thinking. Well come on then, we have to get my father out of here quickly. Merlin, I want you to go outside and keep a lookout for any of our enemies. Find a way for us to get to the square without getting spotted. Morgana, you stay here and help me make a makeshift stretcher for my father."

Having heard the plan and knowing what to do, Merlin then proceeds to head out into the corridor. An eerie and foreboding silence shrouds the empty corridor. The only sound to be heard is the echoing of Merlin's footsteps as he walks down the quiet hallway. As he turns into the corner, Merlin suddenly comes face to face with a Medhir knight that seemed to appear out of nowhere. Merlin's eyes widen and he lets out gasp of shock. On seeing Merlin, the knight raises his sword, preparing to attack. Just as the knight is about to bring down his sword and strike, Merlin yells out, "Atrice!"

Merlin's eyes flashed a golden hue and the knight is thrown backwards by an unseen force. Merlin quickly takes off, running as fast as he can back to the room the others are in.

"Arthur, there's no way we can make it out to the courtyard carrying your father. It is too dangerous. There are knights walking about patrolling the whole area," Merlin says to Arthur upon arriving back in the room.

"No, there has to be-" Arthur stops talking immediately. They all freeze when hear the approach of a knight outside the room.

"Merlin! Morgana! Hide!" Arthur calls out softly.

The three of them quickly rush to find a place to hide. They hold their breaths trying to keep as quiet as possible as they wait silently, their fear rising as each second passes. Their hearts pumping wildly in their chests. The door to the room opens slowly and the knight enters the room.

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><p><strong>Soooo, what do you all think? Should I continue this? Yes? No? Do comment! See that button below? Yeah, it is totally calling out to you. I would love to know what you all think of this chapter. <strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey there everyone! I'm back! Hahaha! Thank you to everyone who has added this story to your favourites list and followed this story. Also, thanks to those who left such nice reviews. I'm glad to hear that you readers are enjoying the story so far. Well then, let's not keep you waiting. Enjoy!**

** Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin. I know, pretty saddening right?**

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><p><span>Chapter 2<span>

The knight takes slow steps, going further into the room. Arthur takes a deep breath. He unsheathes his sword and charges out to the knight.

"Go! Protect the king! Get him out of here!" Arthur roared over the metallic clanging of swords as he fought off the knight.

Merlin and Morgana rush towards the king's side and proceed to quickly drag him out of the room. They both pull King Uther out into the hallway. Breathing laboured and hearts racing, the both of them struggle to haul the king down the corridor.

As they continue to drag him, another knight suddenly appears and starts to advance towards them with its sword raised. Upon seeing the knight, their fear rises and adrenaline kicks in, driving them to start heaving harder. They are desperate to put as much distance between themselves and the knight as possible.

Then, the worst possible and imaginable thing happens. Morgana trips and falls to the ground, landing directly in the knight's path.

"Merlin… Merlin help! Merlin! Morgana screams out, her calls becoming louder and more frenzied each time as her fear mounts higher and higher.

Morgana's gaze was now fully focused on the knight in front who was steadily coming closer towards her, her eyes not once leaving that direction. Her limbs seemed to have lost their ability to function properly and she could not get up from the ground although her mind was screaming at her to do so. All she could manage to attempt was to shuffle backwards, inching away bit by bit in panic.

Merlin on the other hand, has made a split-second decision to keep dragging the king to safety. However, as the knight approaches Morgana he falters and stops what he is doing. His mind is uncertain. Morgana screams his name again in a pleading manner. What should he do? Save Morgana? Or save the king?

He watches as the knight closes in on Morgana, looming over her with its sword raised and about to deliver the fatal strike. Morgana's eyes were filled with raw fear. She cowers and curls up against the wall of the corridor, too afraid to look up at the knight. The knight swings his weapon.

Suddenly, the most unlikely thing happens. The knight stop just before the blade reaches her. It starts to stare at her intently. The knight then turns away from her and start heading towards Merlin. Merlin immediately resumes dragging the king. His movements become more frantic as the knight gets nearer. The knight is gaining on him.

Too tired to continue, Merlin stops and raises his hand towards the knight. Just as he is about to utter a spell and unleash his magic, Arthur unexpectedly arrives and jumps in to the rescue. He fights off the knight and manages to kick it down a spiral staircase. Merlin then continues to drag King Uther. He heads towards the Council Chamber, Arthur and Morgana following closely behind.

Arriving at their destination, Merlin and Arthur bar the door. Arthur turns to face Morgana. He starts demanding to know where to find the potion Gaius gave her.

"Morgana, do you know where that potion is? Do you have any idea as to where Gaius may have kept it? Tell me!" Arthur asks her.

"I- I don't know! Really I don't!" Morgana cries back.

"Are you absolutely sure? You really do-"

"Arthur, please enough. It's no use. Stop asking her. It won't make a difference anyways. We're trapped in here." Merlin cuts in, interrupting Arthur from questioning Morgana further.

Arthur lets out a huff. He turns away and proceeds to walk towards where the king lays. As Arthur is distracted tending to his sleeping father, Merlin decides to question Morgana on what had happened earlier on in the corridor.

"Morgana, tell me truth. Earlier on, when we were in the hallway, why didn't that knight kill you?" Merlin demands.

"I don't know Merlin, I really have no idea! M-maybe it's because I'm a woman?" Morgana replied weakly in an uncertain manner.

Merlin stared silently at her, contemplating her answer, trying to figure out if she was really telling the truth. He had begun to doubt her when she gave her answer. She honestly did not seem to know the reason behind why the knight had not harmed her. Then again, she could be lying. If she was then she deserved an award.

She was truly convincing and if he hadn't been cautioned by Kilgharrah to be wary of her, Merlin would have probably believed her immediately. Kilgharrah's warnings about Morgana being dangerous and not be trusted came back to him. Was it possible that the old dragon had been right? Could it be possible that Morgana was indeed evil?

No! He must not allow himself to think so negatively! There was no concreate evidence to show that she was truly evil. He could not judge her just based on assumptions. He had to find prove first. Until then, there was still hope for Morgana. He couldn't lose faith in her and give up so easily. Arthur approaches him and starts talking.

"We have to find a way to stop the attack."

"Arthur the only way to such powerful magic like this is to destroy the source-" Merlin paused, not able to go on.

"Which is?" Arthur prompts.

Should he continue? Could he actually reveal the truth about the source? Was he really capable of doing that? Merlin opened his mouth again and tried to speak but the words wouldn't come out. He couldn't bring himself to tell Arthur that Morgana was, in fact, the source. He just couldn't do it.

Instead, what left his mouth was, "I- I don't know what the source is."

"Then there is no other option is there? We must leave Camelot and get the king to safety." Arthur states.

Merlin remains silent, not making any comments. What was there to say anyways? He had not told Arthur the truth. He couldn't bring it upon himself to reveal the secret about Morgana earlier on, so now, all he could do was to agree to the plan.

Arthur looks out the window from the Council Chambers, spotting the cart in the courtyard below. He instructs Merlin and Morgana to cut the curtains in the room and make them into a long rope that they can lower King Uther from the window with. He then prepares to leave.

"Merlin and Morgana, both of you stay in here and prepare the rope. I am going to fight my way to the courtyard and bring the cart over to the window."

"But Arthur, you can't! It's a suicidal-" Morgana starts, trying to argue against the idea, but he interrupts her.

"Morgana please… just-just do as I say. It is the only option left."

Arthur and Merlin walk towards the barred doors and stand before them. Merlin tries to talk Arthur into letting him come along. However, Arthur remains steadfast to his decision. He tells Merlin to stay with Morgana.

Their breaths have started to become laboured and their eyelids have begun to feel very heavy. They become drowsier as each second passes on. The sleeping spell has started to take effect on them. As they begin to drift off to sleep, Merlin shakes his head in an effort to wake up and starts mumbling.

"So, Arthur… how are you feeling?"

"Never better… get me a pillow would you?" comes the reply.

"Don't mess around Arthur!" Merlin says and glances towards Arthur, only to find that the Prince has started to dose off.

"Arthur… Arthur, get up! We can't… fall asleep. Got to… got to stay awake…"

Finding that there is no other way to wake the prince, he turns to his last resort. Merlin raises his hand and proceeds to slap Arthur across the face. Arthur immediately jolts out of his sleepy demur and yells out.

"Merlin!"

"That's better isn't it?! At least you're awake now!" Merlin cried out.

"If you ever do that again-" Arthur warns.

"Well, don't fall asleep then!" Merlin cuts in.

Arthur takes a water flask that Merlin has with him and pours it over his face. As they unbar the door, they say their goodbyes.

"If I need a servant in the next life..." Arthur says.

"Don't ask me!" Merlin replies quickly.

Arthur lets out a laugh. He braces himself and readies his sword. Taking a deep breath, he nods towards Merlin and then proceeds to open the door of the council chambers. Arthur rushes through the doors and immediately clashes swords with the knights outside. The battle has begun.

Merlin quickly bars the door as soon as Arthur steps out to fight off the knights, hearing the sounds of combat. Merlin turns to Morgana who stares back at him, the fear and worry evident on her beautiful face.

"Merlin… he isn't going to survive out there… we've got to do something!" Morgana cries out.

"I know." Merlin simply replies.

Outside, the battle rages on. Arthur lashes out with his sword raining blow upon blow onto the soldiers as he tries to drive them back. The hissing sounds of the blade can be heard as he slashes his sword through the air.

Arthur's hair is matted and plastered to his forehead, beads of sweat dripping down the side of his face. He grunts as he swings his sword striking a knight. He is starting to get tired, the effort taking its toll on him. But he bravely fights on, delivering lethal strikes to his opponents.

Meanwhile back in the council chambers, Merlin tells Morgana to start tearing the curtain up while he makes the rope. He had made his decision. He had to kill her even though he really loathed the idea of doing such a dastardly deed. However, there was no other way.

Morgana starts doing her job, becoming too distracted to notice what Merlin is doing. With his back to her, Merlin pours the hemlock into the water flask and then turns, offering it to Morgana.

"Here, have some water." Merlin says, holding out the water flask towards Morgana.

"I'm not thirsty," Morgana replies shaking her head as she does so.

She looks back down and resumes tearing up the curtain. Merlin stares at her. What should he do now? He was torn between trying to keep coaxing her to take a drink from the flask and telling her the whole truth. He really did not want to kill her. Just thinking about it made him sick to the core.

She couldn't possibly have done this intentionally. Morgause must have cast the enchantment on Morgana without her knowledge. He had to take the risk. He just had to give her one last chance. Merlin took in a huge gulp of air. That was it. He'd had enough of this. Forget about whatever Kilgharrah had said earlier on. He couldn't do it anymore. Morgana was his friend and she was a good person at heart. He had to tell her immediately.

"Morgana, you need to listen to me very carefully now." He says in a solemn voice.

She immediately looks up to meet his gaze, her eyes focusing intently on him and not once leaving that direction. He continues.

"I know you are absolutely terrified and you may be confused about what I'm about to tell you, but you have to do it. I need you to drink from this flask now Morgana! This flask does not contain ordinary water. It is a powerful potion. Remember what I told Arthur about not knowing what the source is? Well, I lied." He pauses to catch his breath and then he goes on.

" The truth is you are the source Morgana! I just couldn't bear to tell Arthur! You were enchanted by Morgause. She cast a sleeping spell and made you the source. That's why everyone is asleep. That's why you are the only one awake. Please you have to believe me!" Merlin says desperately.

Morgana simply stares back at him. Pure shock shows on her face.

"What- What do you m- mean Merlin? What are you t- talking about? That- That can't b- be true! Morgause wouldn't… right? H- How do you know all this Merlin?" Morgana asks with a trembling voice.

"Because… because I… I have magic Morgana!" Merlin says, looking at her intensely, his gaze not once faltering.

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><p><strong>Yea, sooo I guess I'll guess stop here now. Well, what do you all think of this chapter? It's starting to get interesting huh?<strong>

**IMPORTANT! I'll try and get the next chapter up soon. Hopefully that is. No promises though. I'm pretty busy because I got lots of stuff on. This year is going to be a really hectic year for me, especially school life. I've got new positions and roles I have to take up which means I'll be participating in a lot more school activities. So, I do hope you readers will understand and be patient with me if updates are slow. I'll try my best to post a chapter every 2-3 weeks but I can't promise that it will happen every time. Thank you for taking your time to read this. Do leave a review. It would really make my day! :D**

**~Feyfa**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey there everyone! It's time for a new chapter! Yes, I took really long and I'm so sorry! Update time! Hahaha! Thank you to everyone who has added this story to your favorites list and followed this story. I'm pretty amazed that I got so many followers. Definitely more then I had expected. Thank you readers for waiting so patiently for an update. Well then, read on! **

** Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin. ( But I really want to...)**

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><p><span><strong>CHAPTER 3<strong>

The moment those words left his mouth, Morgana's expression immediately changed. Her brows furrowed into a deep frown and her eyes narrowed into thin slits.

"Merlin, this isn't the time for jokes like that so quit messing around! It's not funny!" she hissed out.

Morgana opened her mouth once again and was about to continue with her speech however, before she could go on, Merlin's eyes flashed a brilliant shade of gold and the water flask slowly floated up in front of Morgana. Her eyes widened in disbelief and her hand flew up to her mouth as she stifled a gasp of shock.

"Oh my goodness! Y-You do have magic!" Morgana cried out.

Then, the full weight of such a revelation came crashing down upon Morgana like a sledgehammer. Merlin had magic. He had magic and he had not told her. Her features of shock and disbelief were then replaced with a flash of hurt and betrayal which quickly morphed into that of pure burning fury at the realization.

"How could you Merlin! How could you!" she shrieked in rage.

"I was so terrified and scared for my life when I first discovered my magic! I came to you for help and you didn't tell me you had magic!? I was so alone! You could have helped me! How could you!? I thought you were my friend! I TRUSTED YOU!"

Morgana's eyes started flickering between gold and green, a sign that she was losing her control over her magic due to her overwhelming emotions. Merlin flinched upon hearing her harsh words. Guilt racked through his entire being and he looked down towards the floor, too ashamed to meet her gaze.

"Morgana, I'm sorry. But I did try to help you. I-I sent you to the druids."

"It wasn't enough Merlin. I was still scared. You could have given me much more help! You could have told me!" Morgana hissed out.

"I know! Okay!? I know and I'm sorry for everything. Yes, I should have told you about my magic a long time ago but I was scared too alright!? I was terrified Morgana! Terrified! It was hard for me living in the shadows and hiding what I am too! There was so many times that I came really close to telling you but then, I always stopped before doing it out of fear and I'm sorry!" Merlin cried out, his voice beginning to crack.

Morgana just stared back at him silently, giving him a cold look. He almost lost it then. Merlin was close to tears as he poured out his feelings. All the guilt he had bottled inside him flowed out as he spoke.

"I'm so, so sorry Morgana! I want to explain everything to you but there isn't any time right now. Camelot is in grave danger. You must drink the potion in the water flask now! It's the only way to break the enchantment. I promise you I will tell you everything once this is over. Please Morgana, there is no more time left!" Merlin says desperately.

"H-How can I trust you? Y-You expect me to believe you after you've lied to me!? Merl-"

"Morgana you have to! Please! I know you don't trust me but you have to! It's the only way! Think of all the people in the castle! Think of Arthur and Gwen! Innocent lives will be lost if we don't stop the attack! Please Morgana! Surely you won't let them die!? You are a kind and caring person! If not for me, do it for them! Please! We're running out of time Morgana!" Merlin begged in a tone that was filled with despair and desperation.

His eyes had a crazed and wild look as he gazed at her in sheer panic, the terror plastered on his face. Morgana closed her eyes and let out an exhale of air.

"I'll do it. But I'm only doing this for Camelot and all the innocent people in this castle. It isn't over yet Merlin. You still have a lot of explaining to do after this." Morgana spoke all of a sudden.

Morgana immediately holds the water flask up. She uncorks the cap and quickly brings it to her lips, taking a gulp of the poisoned water. Merlin simply looks at her in a stunned manner. He couldn't believe what he just saw. Morgana had taken a drink from the flask.

Immediately after drinking from the flask, Morgana starts to feel light headed. An itchy feeling begins forming in her throat. She tries to stand straight but the dizzying sensation only worsens and she sways to her right. Merlin rushes in to catch her as she falls and she lands safely in his arms.

He slowly lowers himself to the ground, holding on to her carefully. By then, the irritation in her throat earlier on had bloomed into a burning sensation. She was having problems breathing. Her vision was blurry and clouded. She lets out strangled gasps as she tried to take in air.

"M-Merlin…*gasps*…throat…hurts…*gasps*…so much…*gasps*…help…please…*gasp*…hurts…" Morgana said as her eyes filled with tears from the pain.

Merlin just hugs her and holds on tightly to Morgana as she rests on his chest. Tears are streaming down his face. He can feel Morgana shuddering above him each time she tries taking a breath. It pains him deeply to see her like this. Each choked sound that she makes is like a knife to his heart.

"Shh…its okay…I'm here…shh…Morgana…everything will be fine…you'll be alright…" Merlin says softly as he runs his hand through her raven black locks in gentle strokes.

The pain is intense. She is suffocating. Every breath she takes in causes her chest to hurt even more. She can hardly open her eyes. Her head is swimming. She can only feel the gentle touch of Merlin's hand and his soothing voice.

Everything else is a blur. The only thing her mind can register is the pain. It's too much. She is spinning. She is falling. Finally, all of her surroundings fade away and her world turns black.

Merlin lets out a broken sob the moment he feels Morgana going limp in his arms. He looks down at her and softly caresses her face.

Meanwhile, outside the doors, Morgause watches the knights' battle, but all of a strange look appears on her face. Morgause clutches her throat. A weird dizzy sensation comes over her.

She widens her eyes as one though immediately comes to mind. Morgana is in trouble. She then races toward the doors of the Council Chamber. With magic, the doors are thrown open and Morgause rushes to Morgana, pushing Merlin aside.

"What has he done to you?" Morgause asked as she held Morgana.

"I had to," Merlin simply says as he pushes himself off the ground and stares at Morgause.

"You poisoned her! Tell me what you used and I can save her."

"You left me no choice! If you want her to survive, you will listen to what I have to say. First, I want you to call of the attack. You will also swear on the Triple Goddesses that you will leave Camelot immediately after doing so and that you will never return here." Merlin says.

"You are not to harm anyone in Camelot and you will stay away from Morgana. I don't want her becoming corrupted by your evil ways. She is a kind and caring person and I won't let you destroy the goodness in her," Merlin continues.

"How dare you! Do you have any idea who you are speaking to!? You will tell me how to cure her! I am a High Priestess of the old religion and you are nothing but a simple servant! I could kill you here right now with just a wave of my hand!" Morgause screeched.

"I don't care who you are!" Merlin shouted back.

"I won't tell you anything. I'll be the one to administer the cure to her. No one else will do it! I may just be a servant but I am the key to Morgana's survival. Her fate lies in your hands now. Whether she lives or not depends on your decision! So go ahead, kill me! I dare you to! But then, Morgana dies with me!"

"You expect me to trust you with her life!? After you poisoned her!? How would I know if you keep to your word or not? I wouldn't be able to visit her!" Morgause sneered at Merlin.

"You have magic. I'm quite sure you can figure out a way to check in on her. You probably won't believe it but I don't want this any more than you do. I care about Morgana too. Now, do you agree or not? Morgana doesn't have much time left. There is only a few hours till the poison fully spreads and then she'll die." Merlin states in a cold tone.

Morgause glared at Merlin. There was definitely something mysterious and unsettling about the boy who stood in front of her. He did not seem to be afraid of her at all and even dared to challenge her.

She could tell that there was more than meets the eye when it came to him. But there wasn't time to figure things out. Morgana's life was at stake. Morgause makes her decision and mutters an incantation under her breath.

"Astýre ús þanonweard! Cnihtas Medhires, éower sáwla. Rid eft ond forsliehð eft." (This is the possible meaning, not very sure though: Guide us from there. Medhir Warriors, your souls ready again and destroy again.)

Outside, the knights collapse lifelessly to the ground and Arthur blinks in astonishment. Meanwhile back in The Council Chambers, Morgause is glaring at Merlin as she holds Morgana closely.

"I've called of the knights. I swear on the Triple Goddesses that I'll leave Camelot now and never return here." Morgause hisses out.

"There, I've done it, now save her!"

Merlin walks up to Morgause. He bends down and reaches out his hands to take Morgana into his arms. Just as he is about to do so, there is a loud commotion outside and Arthur bursts through the doorway with a group of newly awakened knights behind him.

"What have you done to my father?" Arthur yells out.

"He's fine Arthur!" Merlin calls out.

Arthur looks around the room and spots Uther gradually waking up behind the throne. He then looks towards Morgause and sees her cradling Morgana.

"Morgana?!" Arthur calls out.

When she does not reply, he makes a move towards her. Morgause immediately holds out her hand in a defense stance.

"Keep away from her!" Morgause snarls out.

Morgause looks down towards Morgana and hugs Morgana towards her one last time. There is a pained expression on her face. She then turns to Merlin and gives a look that signals that she is about to make her leave. He gives her a subtle nod in return.

"This isn't over Uther Pendragon! Bedyrne ús! Astýre ús þanonweard!" Morgause yells out. (Meaning: Conceal! Guide us from there.)

A strong gust of air starts blowing in the room. The gale picks up speed and soon becomes a swirl of howling wind. All of a sudden, Morgause disappears in a magical cloud of smoke.

The moment Morgause is gone, Merlin rushes up towards Morgana and drops to his knees beside her. He pulls her up against him and carefully tucks away the loose strands of hair covering her face.

Meanwhile, Arthur has already gone to his father's side to check up on the King. The other knights are just staring blankly looking at the spot where Morgause used to be with confused expressions. All of them are broken out of their reverie by the sound of Merlin's voice.

"Sire! We have to get Lady Morgana to Gaius's chamber now! She's dying!" Merlin cries out.

All the heads in the room turn towards him. Arthur and Uther have matching expressions of worry and horror on their faces. They all stride up to Merlin and crowd around him. Merlin hands Morgana over to Arthur and stands up.

Arthur transfers Morgana into the arms of one of the knights and barks out orders to start heading to Gaius's chambers. As they all head out of the Council Chambers, both Uther and Arthur begin questioning Merlin.

"Boy! What did that witch do to her? Tell me!" Uther says.

"Merlin, what happened? Why isn't Morgana waking up?" Arthur asks.

"I-I tried…Morgana was…M-Morgause, she…" Merlin stuttered, not knowing what to say.

"SPIT IT OUT BOY!" Uther roared.

"M-Morgana was poisoned!" Merlin cried out.

"I know what sort of poison it is and I know how to make a cure for it but…but the problem is…she was poisoned for at least five minutes already. T-This poison…its lethal. I'm not…I'm not sure the cure will work. She might not…" Merlin stopped, unable to finish the sentence.

Silence ensues. No one speaks as they walk quickly to Gaius's chamber. Upon reaching the chambers, they find Gaius. He had a puzzled expression on his face and he looked as if he just woke up.

"What is going on? Why is everyone here? Oh, Merlin, sire you all are back? I must have fallen asleep," Gaius says.

"Gaius, there is no time now but we will explain everything later, we need your help. According to the boy, Morgana has been poisoned. She will die if we don't do anything. You must help her," Uther says gravely.

Gaius was shocked when he heard those words leaving Uther's mouth. He's eyes widened in disbelieve.

"Of course, I'll start on a cure immediately. I'll do my best to save her. Place her on the bed. Sire, I would like to request that everyone leave these chambers so that I won't be distracted and I can concentrate on healing the Lady Morgana. Merlin you stay, I'll need your help," Gaius says.

King Uther proceeds to order the knights out. Arthur and the knights head out to check up on the state of everyone else in the castle. Soon, only Merlin, Gaius and Morgana are left in the room.

After taking a quick look outside the chambers and ensuring that everyone was gone, Merlin rushes towards the bed where Morgana laid. He leans over the edge of the bed and places his right hand on Morgana's forehead.

Then, he begins chanting a spell. His eyes turn an intense and bright gold as he repeats the spell over and over. A faint orange, shimmering and glowing mist appears around Morgana, which grew brighter and brighter with each passing second.

Soon the light became too bright and Gaius shielded his eyes away from the sight. All of a sudden, there is a huge and powerful burst of magic which radiates out into the air in the room. A feeling of warmness washes over Gaius.

Gaius opens his eyes only to see that Merlin has collapsed to his knees on the floor next to the bed, panting hard. Gaius rushes towards Merlin and attempts to help him up. Merlin just waves him away.

"Don't… worry Gaius… I-I'll… I'll be… alright… in a… minute… spell… was… p-powerful… check… check on… Morgana…" Merlin manages to gasp out in between pants.

Merlin manages to steady his breathing after a while. He gets up with a little help from Gaius and then turns to look at the black haired beauty that lay asleep in the bed.

Unable to stop himself, Merlin reaches his hand out and slowly caresses Morgana's cheek. Merlin feels himself calm down as he looks silently at Morgana and a light smile plays on his lips.

"Morgana will be fine. Everything is going to be okay," Merlin whispers out to no one particular.

Gaius takes in the whole scene quietly. As he observes what Merlin is doing, many questions begin to arise in the old man's mind. Finally, unable to keep silent anymore, Gaius opens his mouth and gives in to his curiosity.

"Merlin, what did you just do?! Are you out of your mind?! That spell must have been extremely hard and exhausting! I could feel its tremendous power earlier on! What were you thinking?!" Gaius exclaimed.

Merlin jumps up slightly, snapping out of his peaceful state and breaks his gaze away from Morgana. He was so focused on Morgana that he had forgotten all about Gaius still being there in the room.

"Gaius, I'm fine. I did it to save Morgana. She'll be alright. I cast a healing spell on her. Morgana is sleeping now. She'll probably wake up in two or three days. Her body needs to recover from the poisoning," Merlin replied tiredly.

Gaius simply stared back at Merlin, his brows raised up in utter surprise and his eyes gazing questionably at Merlin. Merlin just sighed deeply and closed his eyes, his hand coming up to rub at the bridge of his nose.

"Look Gaius I-I'll explain everything later when I feel like talking. I need some time to myself for now." Merlin says going into his room and lying down on his own bed.

Meanwhile, in another part of the castle, Uther is in Morgana's chamber, sadly looking over her jewelry. He sighs deeply as he thought of his ward. She had been poisoned by that wretched sorceress.

Arthur enters Morgana's chambers, approaching Uther to tell him that there's no sign of Morgause anywhere in the castle and that no one has come to any harm. Uther remains silent.

"I'm sorry I failed, Father. I should have protected Morgana." Arthur starts to say.

"No. That was my duty. Morgana has been poisoned and that will forever be on my conscience, not yours." Uther suddenly states.

Arthur does not reply. He simply nods in acknowledgement and then leaves Uther to himself once again.

Daylight was fast approaching an end. As the last rays of the sunshine faded away with the setting sun, the people in Camelot got ready for the night. Over in Gaius's quarters, dinner is full of tension and silence.

Gaius unsuccessfully tries to get Merlin to speak about what had happened to Morgana that day however the young warlock was too caught up in his thoughts.

Merlin barely listens to anything Gaius says, unconsciously stirring his bowl of porridge with his spoon instead of eating it.

"Merlin, are you listening? Would you please tell me what happened today? I want to know what happened!"

"Gaius we'll talk later. I just remembered, I have something important to do," Merlin suddenly says as he rises from his seat, making his way to the door.

As Merlin walks off to his destination, the dragon's words replay in his mind. He has made a promise to Kilgharrah. Now he has to fulfill that promise.

"You must steal a sword from the Knights of Medhir. Their blades were forged by the Old Religion. If you harness its power to your own, you will have the strength to break the chains with which Uther Pendragon keeps me prisoner." Kilgharrah's voice echoes in Merlin's head.

Merlin manages to sneak into the vaults where all the magical artifacts are stored away. He looks around and finally manages to find the sword of one of the Medhir knights. Having gotten hold of the sword, he makes his way to the Dragon's cave.

Upon Merlin's arrival at the Dragon's cave, Kilgharrah swoops down and lands majestically. He stares down at the sword in Merlin's hand with an eager look. A look that seems a little too eager.

Merlin looks back suspiciously at the dragon. He feels that something isn't right. Curious, he opens his mouth and starts to question the dragon.

"Where will you go after I set you free?" Merlin asks.

"I'm the last of my kind, there is but one road I can take," Kilgharrah answers cryptically.

"What does that mean?" Merlin asks suspiciously.

"You will see…" the dragon replies mysteriously.

Merlin stares silently at the dragon, trying to decipher the cryptic words spoken by Kilgharrah. Finally, he starts making his way down to where the chain is.

Everything is silent. Tension and anticipation crackles in the air. Kilgharrah fidgets as he waits impatiently for Merlin.

When Merlin is finally standing in front of the chains, he holds up the sword and takes a deep breath. Suddenly, he lowers the sword. Kilgharrah looks at him with narrowed eyes in an annoyed expression.

"Before I do this, you promise me that you will not harm Camelot," Merlin demands.

"I think there have been enough bargains," Kilgharrah replies with a scowl.

Kilgharrah's patience is wearing thin. Merlin raises the sword again he begins an incantation.

"Ic bebeode þisne sweord þæt hé forcierfe þá bende þæra dracan. Un clýse!" (I command this sword that it cuts the chains of the dragon. Open!)

On saying the last word, Merlin brings the sword down upon the chain that imprisons Kilgharrah. The chain shatters loudly. Kilgharrah lets out a tremendous roar. He raises both of his wings and flies upwards towards freedom.

* * *

><p><strong>Oh wow! Dun dun dun dun! I'm sure you all know what will happen next hmm? Interesting! Hahaha! Well then, I'll end it off here! Until the the next chapter it is! Do read on see my reply to the lovely reviews! Oh and to make things even more interesting, here is a little of what <em><span>may<span>_ come out in the next chapter. *smiles cutely***

_**Sneak peak**_

**_"Do not imagine that your petty magic can harm me!"_**

**_"W-What happened? What am I doing here? The knights? Merlin?"_**

**_"Father! Watch out! No!"_**

**_"You attacked Camelot after I told you not to! I trusted you!"_**

_**Reviews**_

_**I luv Milarion 1201 : Well, she didn't slap him, but she was angry enough I hope? Haha! Merlin's not going to be forgiven so easily. Hmm, should I get him to do something extraordinary to make up to her? Heh, she is a Lady after all! Would love to hear from you again!**_

_**Hi : Thank you for your lovely reviews. I'm glad to hear that you are enjoying my story so far. You should totally get an account on fan-fiction! Trust me, you won't regret it! XD**_

_**Lady Flurryous : I'm so glad to read your wonderful review. Yup,it really gives me a boost of confidence to know that I got the characters exactly how I wanted them to come out. I totally understand what you mean! In the episode, I felt that he didn't even give her chance and immediately assumes the worst of her! :-( Happy to hear that you like this so far!**_

_**yaissa-chan : Haha, here is the next chapter!**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Well then everyone, here is the next chapter of AToF,ADoD. Hope you all enjoy this chapter! Go on and read! Hahaha! Oh and please do leave a review, truly makes my day! ;)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the show Merlin or its characters. (Heh, pretty sure that Morgana would blast me to bits if I even thought of trying to claim Merlin for myself. Especially Merlin. XD)**

* * *

><p><span><strong>CHAPTER 4<strong>

The sounds of panicked yelling and screaming filled the night air in Camelot. All around, people were frantically scrambling about and rushing around to make their escape. The smell of smoke hung thickly in the air.

The glowing embers of flames flared brightly in the darkness of night. Debris from the damaged and charred remains of buildings laid strewn out all over the streets of Camelot. It was the third night of the Dragon's assault on the castle.

Arthur ran through the courtyard with his knights and Merlin following closely behind, all of them carrying crossbows. As they hurriedly made their way to their destinations, Arthur yells out instructions to the knights.

Meanwhile, in the infirmary Gaius and Gwen were tending to the wounded. As Gwen helps Gaius out, she begins to voice out her concerns on the attack.

"I don't think people can suffer a third night of this," Gwen states out in a worried tone.

"We must have trust in Arthur-" Gaius begins to say.

"I do… but even he couldn't possibly have a chance…" Gwen replied quietly.

Back outside, Arthur, Merlin and the knights take their positions on the battlements and prepare themselves as Kilgharrah swoops in for another attack.

Merlin's face is filled with immense guilt as the knights light their arrows and fire at Kilgharrah, only to be forced to take cover when the dragon breathes fire all over the battlements. He had set the dragon free and now people were suffering from Kilgharrah's attack.

As Gwen rushes around, tending to the injured, she realizes that there was no water left in the infirmary. She tells this to Gaius but he simply says that it was too dangerous to go out in the open.

Being the helpful and caring soul she was, Gwen could simply not bear the thought of just waiting around for someone else to fetch the water and letting the injured suffer in agony and misery.

She grabs a bucket and rushes out into the courtyard, maneuvering through the rubble while everyone else screams and flees.

Gwen pants as she runs and quickly makes her way to the well to get water. Upon reaching the well, she begins to draw the water out.

Kilgharrah circles overhead while Arthur cries out for the square to be emptied. As Arthur ushers the villagers out of the square to safety, he happens to glance in the direction of where the well is and spots Gwen busily trying to get water.

Arthur looks up into the sky and notices that Kilgharrah was flying towards Gwen's direction and preparing to swoop down. Arthur's gaze shoots back down to Gwen and he yells out her name in terror as he fully realizes what is about to happen.

Meanwhile, Gwen had been so busy drawing water from the well that she did not notice the dragon until Arthur yelled out her name. When she turns and sees the dragon in the air, her eyes widened in fear. Above them, Kilgharrah spreads out his magnificent wings and then, dives down with claws outstretched.

Arthur sprints across the square toward her. It is a really close call. Arthur manages to reach Gwen just in the nick of time as the great beast swoops down.

He takes the brunt of the dragon's strike as the two of them are thrown to the ground. The two of them get to their feet and quickly take cover from the dragon.

Merlin emerges through all the chaos. He rushes forward, towards Kilgharrah. Glancing down, he spots a spear lying on the ground.

His eyes flare an intense gold as he shouts out a spell to enchant the spear and attempts to hit Kilgharrah with the magical spear.

"Fluge! Gár!" (Fly away, spear!)

The spear flies up into the air and hits Kilgharrah, only to ricochet off Kilgharrah's scales. The dragon looked down at Merlin with anger filled eyes.

"Do not imagine that your petty magic can harm me!" Kilgharrah roared mockingly at Merlin.

Stretching his wings, the great dragon soars upwards and flies away into the night.

"Why are you doing this? You're killing innocent people!" Merlin shouted out as Kilgharrah flew off.

_In the infirmary _

Gwen treats Arthur's injury. Her hands gently clean the wounds on Arthur's body. As she cleans the wounds, she begins speaking softly.

"You shouldn't have risked your life," Gwen says quietly.

"I wasn't to let anything happen to you," Arthur replies gently with a soft smile.

Gwen breaks into a sweet smile and she looks at Arthur with adoring eyes. She continues on quietly with her task. Arthur slowly reaches out to takes Gwen's hand in his, bringing it up and pressing her hand against his heart.

Neither speaks a word as they look at each other, as if they are in their own world. The silence between them is comfortable. It brings more understanding then any words possibly could.

Not far away, Gaius witnessed their little quiet moment with a knowing smile. Merlin arrives in the infirmary. He approaches Gaius to tell him what happened.

"There's nothing I can do…my magic is no good, it doesn't work." Merlin whispers to Gaius.

"Dragons aren't monsters; they're creatures of wonder and magic. You must realize that they're immune to your powers." Gaius explains.

The next morning, Arthur presents a report to his father, the knights and several advisers in the War Room. He accounts the damage and the number of people dead from the attack. None of them have any idea how the dragon had escaped.

When Gaius gets a chance to speak up, he suggests finding a dragonlord. Uther thinks that this is impossible; however Gaius shares knowledge that there may be a dragonlord left in existence. A man named Balinor who was last seen in Cenred's kingdom.

Arthur is eager to seek him out, but Uther is reluctant towards the idea of entering Cenred's territory. Arthur insists that he will go alone to avoid being detected, despite his father's orders.

"No, Arthur. It's too dangerous." Uther begins to speak.

"More dangerous than staying here? I'll not stand by and watch my men die when I have the chance to save them." Arthur cuts in quickly.

"I have given you my orders."

"Do not make this a test of wills, Father."

"I'm not talking to you as a father; I'm talking to you as a king!" Uther yells out, unable to conceal his anger any longer.

"I will ride immediately." Arthur replies stubbornly.

"My concern is for you."

"Mine is for Camelot. I'll send word when I've found him." Arthur promises the king.

As he walks out of the War Room, Arthur tells Merlin to prepare the horses.

In the Physician's Chambers, Merlin is packing and he begins asking Gaius about the dragonlords. Gaius seems oddly distracted, but tells him that that they were men who were able to communicate and control dragons.

Gaius explains to Merlin that Uther passed out the order for the dragonlords to be wiped out, believing that they were dangerous, all except one, who had managed to escape with some help from Gaius. Gaius walks up towards Merlin, a troubled expression on his face.

"Merlin…you've never heard the name Balinor?" Gaius asks.

"No" Merlin replies and continues on with his packing.

"Your mother never mentioned him?" Gaius prods even further.

Merlin looks up at this, his interest piqued at the mention of his mother.

"My mother?" Merlin asks curiously

"She took him in." Gaius replies.

"She stood up against Uther?" Merlin asks incredulously.

"Yes."

"Well she was brave…" Merlin says in an amazed tone.

"Yes…when Uther discovered where Balinor was, he sent knights to Ealdor to hunt him down. He was forced to flee."

"Why didn't my mother tell me any of this?" Merlin asks.

"Merlin…I'd promised her I would never speak of these things." Gaius says solemnly.

Merlin begins to feel even more curious. He wanted to know more. Gaius did not seem to make any sense.

"Of what?"

"I've always treated you as my son…but that is not what you are…"

Gaius pauses as if unsure whether to continue. Merlin stares back at him with a confused expression. He gives Gaius a look, trying to prompt Gaius to continue.

"The man you are going to look for…is…your father." Gaius says slowly.

The bombshell has been dropped. Merlin stares back at Gaius in total silence, too shocked to say anything about the huge revelation. Disbelief washes over him as comprehends what Gaius had just told him.

"My father?" Merlin croaks out.

"Yes."

"He was a dragonlord?"

Gaius does not reply and simply lowers his gaze. Merlin scrunches up his face as he struggles to hold in his overflowing emotions. He shook his head at the unfairness of it all.

"Why did no one ever tell me?!" Merlin yells out angrily.

"I wanted to…your mother felt that it would be too dangerous." Gaius tries to explain.

"I had a right to know," Merlin says.

"She wanted to protect you"

"No," Merlin continues.

"I had a right to know," he repeats, this time stressing on the words.

_At the courtyard_

Merlin stands beside his horse, readying the saddles. Gaius approaches him and asks if he has everything prepared. Merlin just nods and continues saddle his horse. He does not look at or speak to Gaius.

Gaius simply looks at him. Finally, Merlin looks up and apologizes to Gaius about what happened earlier. Gaius nods his head in an understanding sort of way.

Arthur arrives and calls out, asking Merlin if he is ready. As he mounts his horse, Arthur winces in pain, clearly having trouble with his wound. Merlin asks if he is alright and he replies that it is just a scratch. Arthur flicks the reigns of his horse and it begins trotting off.

Merlin gets on his horse. Gaius walks up to him and reminds him that Arthur must never find out that Merlin is a dragonlord's son whatever the cause.

Arthur and Merlin ride on through the woods and finally come to a stop at the top of a hill overlooking a village. They had reached the borders of Cenred's kingdom. They arrive in the village by night in the pouring rain, causing a sudden, deathly silence when they enter a noisy tavern.

They awkwardly take their seats and Arthur asks the innkeeper where they can find a man called Balinor. The innkeeper ignores the money that Arthur offers, stating that he's never heard of Balinor.

A while later, as Merlin and Arthur get ready for bed in one of the chambers at the inn, Arthur decides to question Merlin on his weird behavior, having noticed that Merlin had been acting rather odd.

"What is wrong with you today?"

"What?" Merlin asks.

"It pains me to admit it, but I do enjoy your surly retorts. In fact, it's probably your only redeemable feature."

Merlin snorts and rolls his eyes. He turns over to his side, his back facing Arthur.

"There are loads of servants who can serve. So few are capable of making a complete prat of themselves. What is it?" Arthur continues.

"Nothing." Merlin simply replies

"It's something. Tell me. Alright, I know I'm a prince, so we can't be friends. But if I wasn't a prince..."Arthur trails off.

"What?"

"Well, then...I think we'd probably get on."

"So?" Merlin says.

"So at least can you tell me?" Arthur huffs out in irritation.

"Well, that's true. But you see, if you weren't a prince, I'd tell you to mind your own damn business." Merlin retorts cheekily.

"Merlin!" Arthur exclaims, frowning in annoyance.

"Are you missing Gaius?" Arthur continues in a softer tone.

"Something like that." Merlin cryptically replies.

"Well, what is it, then?" Arthur cries out, clearly annoyed.

Arthur sits up and takes his pillow, throwing it at Merlin in an attempt to get an answer out of Merlin.

"I'll tell you…" Merlin gives in.

"I'm worried about everyone back in Camelot. I hope they're alright." Merlin continues.

"So do I." Arthur says.

Back in Camelot, Sir Leon leads the knights in their fight against the Dragon. They shoot their arrows at the dragon, only for it to retaliate with a huge blast of fire. The knights are forced to crouch down and cover each other with their overlapping shields. Uther watches helplessly from his chambers.

In the inn, someone enters Merlin and Arthur's room and reaches for Arthur's bag. Arthur wakes up, grabs the man's hand and throws him onto Merlin's bed at knife-point. Merlin wakes up, frightened and in shock.

Arthur threatens the man until he divulges Balinor's location which is an isolated cave in a forest. The man tells them not to get their hopes up. He claimed that Balinor would not welcome them because he hates everyone and everything.

As dawn approaches, Merlin and Arthur set off into the forest, walking their horses through the woods. Merlin notices that Arthur is struggling and wants to have a look at his wound.

While Merlin checks the wound, he suddenly hears the rustle of leaves. The two of them hide quickly at the sound. Merlin peeks out and spots Cenred's men passing by. Once gone, Merlin turns to Arthur, only to find that he's passed out.

Merlin continues on with Arthur slung over the back of his horse until he reaches Balinor's cave. Upon reaching, Merlin enters the cave and takes a look around. Hesitantly, Merlin calls out, asking if there is anyone around and is grabbed from behind by a bearded and grim-looking man.

The man demands to know why Merlin is there and Merlin asks for help for his wounded friend. The man agrees to tend to him, though Merlin is momentarily distracted by the first sight of his father.

Using herbs and a spell, the man treats Arthur's wound.

"Ahlúttre þá séocnes. Þurh- hæle bræd."( Cleanse the sickness through healing flesh.)

The man tells Merlin that Arthur will be fine by the morning. He then offers Merlin a meal. Merlin attempts to start a conversation with the man.

"Looks good. How long have you lived here?" Merlin asks.

"A few winters."

"Must be hard."

"Why are you here?" the man asks.

"Just travelling. We're looking for someone. I was toll… well...they said that he lived somewhere hereabouts. A man named Balinor. You never heard of him? He was a dragonlord." Merlin answers.

"He's passed on."

"You knew him?" Merlin says eagerly.

"Who are you?!" the man asks suspiciously.

"I'm...Merlin." Merlin replies with a slight hesitation.

"And him?" the man asks, pointing towards Arthur.

"He's my master."

"His name!" the man says gruffly.

"His name is Lancelot. He's a knight. You know… a nice one." Merlin quickly lies.

"His name is Arthur Pendragon. He is Uther's son." the man looks disapprovingly at Merlin, his gaze darkening.

The game is up. There is nothing to hide anymore. The man knows who Arthur is.

"Yes." Merlin finally admits.

"This is Cenred's kingdom. He's asking for trouble. What do you want from me?" the man asks Merlin.

"Are you Balinor? The Great Dragon is attacking Camelot." Merlin asks, although he already knows the answer to his question.

"His name is Kilgharrah." The man simply says.

"Well, we can't stop him. Only you, a dragonlord, can."

"He doesn't act blindly. He kills for a reason. Vengeance. This is of Uther's making." Balinor explains.

"But he's killing innocent people. Women and children."

"Uther pursued me! He hunted me like an animal!" Balinor bellows out suddenly in rage.

"I know."

"What do you know about anybody's life, boy?! Uther asked me to use my power to bring the last dragon to Camelot. He said he wanted to make peace with it, but he did not! He lied to me! He betrayed me! You want me to protect this man?" Balinor roars with fury.

"I want you to protect Camelot." Merlin answers.

"He killed every one of my kind! I alone escaped!"

"Where did you go?"

"There's a place called Ealdor."

"Yes." Merlin prompts.

Balinor begins talking about how he had a life in Ealdor where he had a good woman with him. He explained how Uther continued to pursue him and destroy his life forcing him to flee Ealdor and abandoned the woman that he loved. He tells Merlin to let Camelot fall.

'You want everyone in Camelot to die?" Merlin asks in disbelieve.

"Why should I care?"

"What if one of them was your son?" Merlin questions.

"I don't have a son." Balinor replies harshly.

"And if I told you..." Merlin begins.

They are interrupted by Arthur muttering in his sleep.

The following morning Merlin watches his father by the river. Arthur emerges from the cave, sounding much better. Merlin glumly tells him that though they had found Balinor, he was unwilling to help them.

"What kind of man is he?" Arthur asks.

"I don't know. I thought he'd be something more." Merlin replies.

Back in Camelot, the people of Camelot are busy carrying buckets of water through the lower town to put out the fires. Gwen gazes out at the city from the battlement, tears on her cheeks. Gaius comes to join her, offering her comfort.

"You're missing Morgana?" Gaius asks her.

Gwen acknowledges quietly and continues looking out towards the city.

"She's stronger than people think. I believe that she'll make it and wake up soon. She'll be alright." Gaius says.

Gwen nods and then asks about Arthur. Gaius assures her that Arthur will return, and that she should not underestimate the power of love.

Back in the forest, Arthur had just returned from a discussion with Balinor.

"What did he say?" Merlin asks.

"He'll change his mind."

"He said that?" Merlin says skeptically, not quite believing Arthur.

"Just...give him a moment."

Balinor walks up to the both of them. Merlin glances up at him hopefully.

"Farewell, then." Balinor says to them both and begin to make his way off.

"That's your decision?" Arthur says incredulously.

Balinor turns around and looks at Arthur. He tells Arthur that he refuses to help Uther. Arthur then argues that the people of Camelot will be damned if Balinor does not help.

"So be it." Balinor says.

Arthur is shocked at this and asks Balinor had he no conscience. Balinor replies that he should ask that question to the king instead. Merlin tries to step in saying that Balinor is no better by deciding not to help them. Arthur tells Merlin not to waste his time, walking off as he does so.

"Gaius spoke of the nobility of dragonlords! Clearly he was wrong!" Merlin makes one final attempt.

Mentioning Gaius seems to do the trick. Balinor freezes.

"Gaius?" Balinor asks.

"Yes."

"A good man." Balinor states.

"Yeah. I was hoping you'd be like him." Merlin replies.

"Merlin!" Arthur calls out.

"I wanted to..." Merlin begins but is cut off by Arthur.

"Merlin!" Arthur calls out again.

"Well, there's no point." Merlin says, giving up and sighing in defeat.

Looking heartbroken, Merlin turns to leave with Arthur. Once they had made camp, Arthur again comments on Merlin's quietness.

They are in the midst of some banter when Arthur hears the sound of a twig snap. Someone was approaching. It turns out to be Balinor. He'd had a change of heart and was willing to help them.

While Merlin and Balinor collect firewood, Merlin asks what words Balinor had been mumbling when he was healing Arthur. Balinor tells him that it is an ancient prayer.

"I thought it might have been more than that." Merlin says.

"The Old Religion can teach us many things." Balinor replies.

The Old Religion. Is that something you were taught?"

"It's not something you can learn. Either it's a part of you, or it isn't. My father knew that, and his father before him."

"Were they also dragonlords?" Merlin questions Balinor.

"We'll need some kindling." Balinor says, trying to change the subject.

"You mentioned...You spoke of Ealdor. You took refuge with a woman." Merlin begins.

"That was a long time ago." Balinor says, trying to end the conversation.

"I grew up there." Merlin continues.

"Ealdor?" Balinor asks.

"Yes. I know the woman." Merlin replies.

"Hunith? She's still alive?"

"Yes. She's my mother." Merlin answers.

Balinor stares back at him with a look that can only be described as pained and broken-hearted.

"Then she married. That's good." Balinor says quietly.

Balinor turns around to gather more firewood. Merlin shakes his head.

"She never married." Merlin replies.

At this Balinor turns back around.

"I'm your son." Merlin continues.

They gaze at each other, both unable to say a word. Finally, Balinor swallows and speaks.

"I don't know what it is to have a son."

"Or I a father." Merlin says back.

Their reunion is cut short by the sound of Arthur walking close by, but they share a smile as they collect firewood.

At night, Arthur sleeps while Balinor whittles wood by the fire. On questioning him further, Merlin learns that Balinor did not return to Hunith because he believed she would be safer without him.

Merlin voices his wish that they had stayed together as a family, and promises his father that after Camelot is saved, they'll return to Ealdor together. Balinor says that he can see Hunith in Merlin; specifically her kindness.

"How did you become a dragonlord?" Merlin asks his father.

"You don't choose to become a dragonlord. It's not something you're taught. It's a sacred gift. For thousands of years it's been handed down from father to son. And that is what you must now become, Merlin." Balinor explains.

"I would like that."

"And like all dragonlords, you won't know for sure that you have that power until you face your first dragon. You should get some sleep. We've a big day ahead of us. Goodnight, Son." Balinor continues.

"Sleep well, Father." Merlin replies.

Merlin wakes up to see a small dragon that his father has whittled placed in front of him. He smiles at the sight of it. He is about to get up when Arthur grabs him from behind and covers his mouth. Cenred's men are near and attack unexpectedly.

Merlin throws his father a sword and together they begin to fight off their attackers. Merlin loses his weapon and Balinor rushes to his aid, only to be run through. Merlin screams and the soldier is thrown through the air to hit a tree. Balinor collapses in Merlin's arms.

"Ah.. I see you have your father's talent. Merlin..." Balinor says.

"Please, no. Please. I can save you." Merlin says in a panicked tone.

"Listen to me…when you face the dragon… remember… be strong… a dragon's heart is on its right side… not its left." Balinor says in between gasps.

"I can't do it alone." Merlin cries out.

"Listen to me! Oh, my son. I've seen enough in you to know that you will make me proud."

Balinor reaches up to touch Merlin's face. Merlin stifles his sobs as he looks down at his father who lies dying in his arms. Balinor keeps his gaze on Merlin until his eyes glazes over, turn dull and lifeless. The dragonlord is dead.

"No! Father!" Merlin croaks out hoarsely as he watches the life leave Balinor.

Merlin lowers Balinor to the ground. He is forced to choke back his sobs as Arthur approaches; throwing his sword down in anger as he sees that Camelot's last hope is dead.

Merlin and Arthur ride back to Camelot. The knights point out eagerly towards them from the battlements, but on entering the war room together, Arthur is forced to admit that they failed in their mission.

When Arthur announces that the last dragonlord is dead, Gaius glances at Merlin, who is trying his best not to start crying.

"All is not lost, Father. We have to fight the monster ourselves. So let us ride out and fight on our own terms: on open ground, on horseback, where we can manoeuvre better." Arthur says.

"There is no point."

"So what? We stand here, watch Camelot fall." Arthur questions.

"You have my blessing." the king finally says.

"I need a dozen knights! Those who do not wish to fight can do so without stain on their character. For those brave enough to volunteer should know, the chances of returning are slim." Arthur says loudly.

Starting with Sir Leon, the Knights of Camelot step forward one by one, forming a circle around Arthur. They will fight loyally with him until the end.

In his bedroom, Merlin sits on his bed and cries silently, holding the small wooden dragon that Balinor made in his hands. Gaius enters and tells him that once Balinor died, all his powers have passed into Merlin. Only now does he have power over the Great Dragon.

In Arthur's Chambers, Merlin helps Arthur put on his armor, giving him advice on how to handle the coming battle.

"Merlin, if I die, please..." Arthur begins.

"What?"

"The dragonlord today...I saw you. One thing I tell all my young knights: no man is worth your tears."

Upon hearing this, Merlin has to bite down on his tongue to keep from lashing out at Arthur and revealing anything. He composes himself, swallows down his emotions and plasters a fake smile on his face.

"Yeah. You're certainly not." he jokes weakly.

Arthur picks up his sword and prepares to leave, only for Merlin to pick up his own sword and follow him out. Arthur is incredulous that Merlin would want to come with him to fight the dragon, but Merlin is dead serious.

"Are you really going to face this dragon with me?" Arthur asks.

"I'm not going to sit here and watch. I know it's hard for you to understand how I feel, but...well, I care a hell of a lot about that armor and I'm not going to let you mess it up." Merlin remarks cheekily.

They share a smile, Arthur gives Merlin a friendly punch on the arm, and they leave the room together. Gaius watches from the battlement as Arthur, Merlin and the knights ride out of Camelot to slay the dragon.

The moon appears, shining brightly in the night sky from behind a cloud. It lights up a meadow on the outskirts of Camelot. All the knights prepare to face the dragon. They stand in formation at the meadow.

They are armed with lances and wear helmets as they wait for the dragon which slowly swoops down out of the sky. The moment the dragon lands in the clearing, Arthur gives the signal and they all gallop away from each other to form a circle surrounding the dragon.

Kilgharrah manages to hit Merlin and several other knights off their horses with his tail. He breaths fire over several knights as Merlin screams for him to stop.

Arthur grabs a lance and prepares to stab the dragon, managing a hit before he is knocked unconscious to the ground. Merlin gets to his feet, hearing his father's voice in his head encouraging him.

"You're the last dragonlord now. You alone carry the ancient gift. Deep within yourself, you must find the voice that you and Kilgharrah share, for your soul and his are brothers. When you speak to him as kin, he must obey your will." Balinor's voice says.

"Dracan. Nán dyd ǽlc áciere miss. Eftsíðas eom ála cræt. Géate stǽr ábære gárrǽs. Géate cyre. Mé tácen átende diegollice. Car grise áþes." (Dragon, of every deed, none turns aside loss. Your journeys, wagon's fires. Say yea to the battle, disclose the history. Say yea to (your) choice. Secretly, you set the evidence on fire, taking me unaware. Sorrowful, (I) dread (my) sworn-oath.)

Merlin roars and begins to speak to Kilgharrah in a foreign tongue. Kilgharrah bows his head and asks for mercy, reminding Merlin that he is the last of his kind.

Merlin thrusts the spear up into the air and orders Kilgharrah to leave, telling him that if he ever attacks Camelot again, he will die.

"Young warlock, what you have shown is what you will be. I will not forget your clemency. I'm sure our paths will cross again." Kilgharrah says.

Kilgharrah flies off and not long after that Arthur awakens. Merlin congratulates him, saying that Arthur managed to deal a mortal blow to the dragon and that the beast had flown away to die.

Overjoyed, Arthur begins to laugh and the two of them make their way back to Camelot on foot. Uther sees them from his window and sighs in relief.

Below, Guinevere and Gaius come to meet them. Gwen throws her arms around Arthur as Merlin and Gaius hug one another.

"I felt him there with me, Gaius." Merlin whispers out as he hugs Gaius.

"He'll always be with you." Gaius replies.

"I hope so."

"Merlin, I know I can never compare with your father, but for what it's worth, you've still got me." Gaius says while smiling.

"Well, I suppose I'll just have to make do." Merlin replies grinning back.

In another part of the castle, a lady's chambers to be more precise, a dark haired beauty lays asleep on the bed. A maid servant walks into the room carrying a small basin of water with a cloth inside.

She sets the basin on the table in the room and then proceeds to check on the condition of the sleeping woman. The maid servant carefully tucks the sleeping woman under the sheets. The maid servant then walks towards the table with the basin of water.

As she does so, she hears a moan coming from behind her. She turns around sharply only to see that the sleeping woman is no longer resting peacefully but instead, tossing and turning on the bed as if having a nightmare.

The sleeping woman moans again, louder this time. All of a sudden, the sleeping woman takes in sharp breath and sits upright, her eyes flying wide open and gazing about wildly.

"W-What happened? Where am I? What am I doing here? The knights, are they gone? Merlin, where is Merlin?" the woman cries out, her emerald green orbs looking around the room.

The maid servant stares at the woman in complete shock, her hand flying up to mouth as she lets out a startled gasp.

"Oh my goodness! Lady Morgana! You're finally awake!"

* * *

><p><strong>Okay then time to end off! So what do all think of this chapter? I'm pretty sure all of you thought I had forgotten about Morgana didn't you? Hehe, nope, nuh-uh, no way!I hoped that it spiked your interest. Please leave a review after reading this. Comments can help me to improve the story. Do favorite and follow this story if you have not. On to the reviews then. Skip the reviews and scroll to the end if you want to.<strong>

**Reviews**

**Argetaie : Too hard? Hmm, I guess so, but Merlin does kind of deserve it in the show don't you think? I mean, he just followed everything Kilgharrah said and didn't try harder to help Morgana. He could have prevented her from turning evil. But he is too lovable for me to stay mad at him. So I shall not be mad. Hahaha! :)**

**I luv Milarion 1201 : Now that you actually mentioned it, I wonder ****what I should get Merlin to do to earn Morgana's trust back and win her heart. All shall be revealed soon...hopefully! Heeheehee! Hmm, any ideas? Haha! Hope to hear from you again :P**

**BlueGreen216 : Yup that's gonna be the most interesting part huh?**

**Lady Flurryous : Wow, Kilgharrah killing Uther would be a little too intense. Hahaha! *Nervously laughs* Actually that is kinda cool. Uther being roasted by a dragon. Hmm...BBQ'ed Uther. Hahahahaha! That sounds really funny somehow. Okay, now I'm imagining Uther being cooked on a grill. Oh dear, I won't be able to stop laughing now! Hahahaha! ;)**

**finnickfelicis : Here you go! Hope this chapter was satisfying to read.**

**Eadane : Update! Hahaha!**

**Well that's all for now I guess. Now, we come to a rather sad part. I'm so sorry my dear readers but the next chapter will make a very, very late appearance. This is due to the fact that exams are coming soon in school and this means it's time for me to hit the books and study study study! I do hope you all are understanding towards this. You people have been awesome readers so far! Thank you for being so nice and friendly. I do hope to continue soon. I'll try and post the next chapter A.S.A.P after my exams. Leave a review please!**


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